Detroit City FC (UWS2) vs Livonia City FC

July 15, 2021
UWS2 Regular Season Match
Keyworth Stadium, Hamtramck, MI

Detroit City FC 4, Livonia City FC 0
DCFC:  Bri Rogers 19′
DCFC: Katie Coleman 63′
DCFC: Tori Singstock (Caroline Fleming) 68′
DCFC: Caroline Fleming 82′

Only two matches remain for the Women’s Reserve team – this home affair against Livonia City FC then a road match in Wixom against North Oakland FC.  City has already captured three trophies:  the 2021 NISA Legends Cup, 2021 NISA Spring Season, and 2020-21 NISA Championship.  A couple of wins and a couple of league decisions and the women could add a fourth in the case for 2021 as UWS2 Great Lakes Conference Champions.

DETROIT CITY FC
Starting XI

Sarah Hammond – GK
Meyah Romeo – D
Kimberly Siebert – D
Isabella Sabo – M
Allison Steglitz – M
Leah Courtney – M
Bri Rogers – M
Katie Coleman – M
Madi Salzenstein – M
Adriana Mroz – M
Syd Smith – F

City controlled the play in the opening minutes, which led up to their first goal.  In the 19th minute, after a bit of chaos in the Livonia box which generated a couple of chances and giveaways, the ball found its way to Bri Rogers just outside the box.  She teed it up and sent it high into the back corner of the goal.

It was a wake-up call for Livonia City.  They returned some pressure.  In the 21st minute, Sarah Hammond made a huge save on the Livonia City player who had capitalized on a defensive miscue and found herself in alone on the City goal.  Hammond got her hand to the shot, preventing the almost certain goal.  Four minutes later, a Livonia City forward sent the ball across the face of City’s goal to another forward who just missed an easy tap-in.  These close calls forced City back into the match.

The half ended with Detroit City holding the 1-nil lead.  As the second half began, DCFC subbed out Sarah Hammond for Amber Morgan to stand guard between the sticks.

Bri Rogers could have collected a hat trick, ringing two more shots off the crossbar in the early minutes of the second half.  In the 57th minute, she almost collected a goal from a Katie Coleman cross.  Rogers chipped the ball on goal but the Livonia keeper palmed over the net.

In the 63rd minute, Allison Steglitz worked the ball into the Livonia box and fired a shot.  The keeper made the save and the defender cleared it onto the foot of Madi Salzenstein.  She sent the ball back in on goal.  The keeper and defender had a miscommunication about the rebound which Katie Coleman found and buried into the back of the Livonia goal.  City up two-nil.

If the field was not already tilted in Detroit’s favor, a 65th minute triple substitution which brought on Tori Singstock, Caroline Fleming, and Julia Stancato created more problems for Livonia.  In the 68th minute, Caroline Fleming delivered a targeted pass to Tori Singstock who made no mistake in placing it past the Livonia keeper.

The three kept frustrating Livonia’s progress, particularly Fleming who intercepted passes and kept Livonia bottled up in their own end.

Fleming would be rewarded in the 83rd minute.  Julia Stancato dribbled the ball down the right side.  After beating a defender, she fed the ball to Fleming in the box.  Fleming shrugged off a defender, turned, and scored to cap off the four-nil win.

Player of the Match:  Bri Rogers.

This gave DCFC a 6-1-1 record.  The Thundercats Soccer rain-out of July 6 still under consideration for rescheduling, and a July 22 match in Wixom against North Oakland FC remained.

Corktown was at the end of their season schedule with a 7 win, 2 draw record and a single question mark.  There was an issue with their match at Livonia City FC where Corktown refused to play and were claiming Livonia City forfeited it.  Would this match take place?  If not, who would get the three points for a forfeit?

DCFC was on 19 points and a win in Wixom and against the Thundercats would give them 25 points.  Corktown was on 23 points and the Livonia City decision would be key to determine who would be the champion of the Great Lakes Conference.